Fastening mechanism for electronic devices

ABSTRACT

A fastening mechanism for fastening a circuit board to an electronic device is proposed, including: a carrier used for carrying the circuit board; at least one fastening member having a first retaining portion that is connected to said carrier for coupling to at least one side of said circuit board; at least one guiding member disposed on said carrier that extends away from the direction of said fastening member; an active member disposed on said at least one guiding member that consists of a second retaining portion for coupling to an opposite side of said circuit board; and a sheathing member used for correspondingly coupling with said guiding member, thereby allowing said active member to move along said guiding member by means of the sheathing member to jointly fasten a variety of circuit boards of different sizes with said fastening member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to technologies for fastening circuitunits of electronic devices, and more particularly, to a fasteningmechanism for fastening a circuit board to an electronic device.

2. Description of Related Art

A wide range of PCs and servers have been designed to meet industrialrequirements. It is desirable and advantageous to use a standard machinecabinet that can accommodate different models of computer motherboardsso that when a motherboard is replaced the cabinet can continue to beused.

The base panel in a conventional server/PC cabinet typically has aplurality of screw holes prepared on its front, back and bottom surfacesfor installing therein a variety of motherboards of different models.Similarly, the motherboards are formed with a plurality of correspondingholes for receiving screws serving as fastening mechanisms to therebyfasten motherboards to server/PC cabinets.

While the screw/hole method can fasten different models of motherboardsto servers/PC cabinets, when fastening a relatively large motherboard,it is often cumbersome to find the matching holes and this, in turn, canresult in mal-positioning.

Further, in using screws as a fastening means to fasten a motherboard toa machine cabinet, it is necessary to prepare in advance copper pillarsor similar elevated structures to space apart the motherboard and thebase panel of the cabinet to prevent electrical short circuit fromoccurring. Larger motherboards necessitate more screw holes forfastening and also more elevated structures to prevent short circuits,adversely wasting time and cost for installing motherboards.

Such problems related to drilling holes for fastening are not limited toscrew fasteners but are also present with regard to fastening mechanismsof many sorts, such as screws or rivets.

Similar problems also apply to portable electronic devices such asnotebook computers (NB), and personal digital assistants (PDA) usingsuch a fastening means as screw or rivets. Therefore, there exists aneed to develop a fastening mechanism that enables users to rapidly andconveniently secure a motherboard to an electronic device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks,and, as such, a primary objective of the present invention is to providea fastening mechanism that enables a user to conveniently and rapidlyinstall motherboards of different models and sizes in an electronicdevice.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a fasteningmechanism that can be applied to a variety of circuit boards forelectronic devices.

Another objective of the present invention is to provide a fasteningmechanism that can simplify the steps of installing a circuit board intoan electronic device and reduce costs as a result.

In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the presentinvention provides a fastening mechanism for fastening a circuit boardto an electronic device, the fastening mechanism being comprised of: acarrier for carrying the circuit board; a fastening member having afirst retaining portion that is connected to said carrier for couplingto at least one side of said circuit board; a guiding member disposed onsaid carrier that extends away from the direction of said fasteningmember; an active member disposed on said guiding member that consistsof a second retaining portion for coupling to an opposite side of saidcircuit board, and a sheathing member for correspondingly coupling withsaid guiding member, thereby allowing said active member to move alongsaid guiding member by means of the sheathing member to jointly fasten avariety of circuit boards of different sizes with said fastening member.

In addition, the fastening member of the present invention furthercomprises an operational portion for correspondingly operating with saidsheathing member, which is adapted to control the tightness of saidsheathing member on the guiding member so as to adjust the position ofthe active member on the guiding member.

In fastening a circuit board to an electronic device, firstly one sideof the circuit board is connected to a first retaining portion of saidfasting member, then the position of the active member on the guidingmember is adjusted such that said first retaining member and said secondretaining member are tightly fastened to the circuit board, and furtheran elevation between said circuit board and said carrier is formedconcurrently to prevent electric short circuits from happening.

Compared to the complex methods in which screws/rivets are used tofasten a circuit board to an electronic device, the circuit boardfastening mechanism proposed by the present invention is designed toeliminate the need of using a fastening tool and thus is easy and quickto operate. Further, when attempting to locate the corresponding screwholes in prior methods, it often takes longer and is difficult toinstall, especially for circuit boards in larger sizes (such as serversand PCs), and in the case that screw holes are not fastened accuratelywith precision, there is a tendency to generate inner stress in thecircuit board that can result in structural damage due to themal-positioning or misplacement of screw. On the contrary, the fasteningmechanism of the present invention engages and fastens the side edges ofa circuit board without the drawback of potentially applyinginappropriate or unbalanced forces to the circuit board and thus has thelasting benefit of helping to protect the circuit board from stressafter installation.

Summarizing the above, the fastening mechanism according to theinvention not only can fasten a circuit board to an electronic devicesecurely, but also is convenient and quick to operate. Accordingly, thepresent invention offers advantages over the prior art techniques due toits easy-positioning and installation without the potential for damageto circuit boards due to inappropriate forces being exerted by misusedprior-art fasteners.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The fastening mechanism of the present invention can be fully understoodby reading the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments, with reference made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first preferred embodiment of thefastening mechanism according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are, respectively, a perspective view and acorresponding cross-sectional view showing the fastening member of thefirst preferred embodiment of the fastening mechanism according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second preferred embodiment ofthe fastening mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing the fastening member of the secondpreferred embodiment of the fastening mechanism according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the fastening member of the secondpreferred embodiment of the fastening mechanism according to the presentinvention showing an auxiliary supporting structure;

FIG. 4C is an oblique-angle view of the fastening member of the secondpreferred embodiment of the fastening mechanism according to the presentinvention showing an auxiliary supporting structure;

FIG. 5A is an oblique-angle view showing the connection of an activemember and a guiding member of the fastening mechanism according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 5B is a side view of the active member of the fastening mechanismshowing a sheathing structure thereof according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing the active member of the fasteningmechanism according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the active member of the fasteningmechanism showing an auxiliary supporting structure, according to thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention is described in the following with specificembodiments, so that one skilled in the pertinent art can easilyunderstand other advantages and effects of the present invention. Thepresent invention may also be implemented and applied according o otherembodiments, and the details may be modified based on different viewsand applications without departing from the spirit of the invention.Also, note that all of the ensuing drawings in this specification aresimplified schematic diagrams to show only those parts related to theinvention; the parts illustrated are not drawn and depicted according toactual scale, size, or number, the details of which arearbitrary/willful design choices in the actual implementation of theinvention.

FIGS. 1A depicts a first preferred embodiment of the fastening mechanismaccording to the present invention, the fastening mechanism beingconfigured in a machine cabinet of an electronic device for fastening acircuit board to the electronic device. Said electronic device cabinet 1can be the machine cabinet of a PC, a server, a portable electronicdevice, or any device accommodating boards that can be interchanged.

The fastening mechanism according to the present invention is at leastcomprised of: a carrier 10 adapted to carry a circuit board 5, saidcircuit board 5 having corresponding sides 50, 51; a fastening member 2fixedly connected to said carrier 10 having a first retaining portionsuch as a clipping groove 21 a for coupling the side 50 of said circuitboard; at least one guiding member 3 disposed on said carrier 10 whichextends away from the direction of said fastening member 2; an activemember 4 disposed on said guiding member 3, said active member 4 beingconstituted to include a second retaining member 41 which is connectedto an opposite side 51 of said circuit board 5 and a sheathing member 42for coupling with said guiding member 3, thereby allowing said activemember 4 to move along said guiding member 3 by means of the sheathingmember 42 so as to jointly fasten circuit boards in a variety ofdifferent sizes with said fastening member 2.

Note that parallel elements that are used in the present invention shareidentical structural theory and only differ in the direction of engagingsaid circuit board 5. Thus for clarify and brevity, only the detailedstructure of one element is described herein to enable persons skilledin the pertinent art to infer without the difficulty from the describedelement.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, in which FIG. 2A illustrates the structureof the fastening member 2, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showingthe engagement of the fastening member 2 with the circuit board 5, saidfastening member 2 is made of an insulating material and rigidlyconnected to said carrier 10, so that one side 50 of said circuit board5 is propped up to couple with said clipping groove 21 a to form anelevation L to space apart the circuit board 5 from said carrier 10.Note that said fastening member 2 is not intended to be limited toholding a rectangular circuit board.

FIG. 3 illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the fasteningmechanism according to the present invention. As shown, the firstretaining portion of said fastening member 2 is an opening 21 b forreceiving a corner of said circuit board 5 so as to stably and securelyhold said circuit board 5 therein.

Referring-to FIGS. 4A to 4C, FIG. 4A is an oblique-angle view showingthe structure of the fastening member 2 engaging with said circuit board5, and FIGS. 4B and 4C are, respectively, a cross-sectional view and anoblique-angle view showing an auxiliary supporting structure of thefastening member 2. As shown in FIG. 4A, the fastening member 2, whichis made of an insulating material, is constituted to have an opening 21b so as to couple with a corner of the circuit board 5, wherein saidcircuit board 5 is spaced apart from said carrier 10 by an elevation Ldue to the coupling with said opening 21 b.

Referring to FIGS. 4B and 4C, said first retaining portion furtherincludes a groove 210 disposed at the opening 21 b for embedding saidcircuit board 5 and supporting said circuit board 5 in an oppositedirection of the carrier. Said groove 210 may be formed on one side ofthe opening 21 b for embedding said circuit board 5, or on the bothsides of the opening 21 b for embedding the corner flanges of saidcircuit board 5 depending on the design choice.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, FIG. 5A is an oblique-angle view showingthe coupling of an active member 4 and a guiding member 3, and FIG. 5Bis a side view of the active member 4, wherein the active member 4 isconnected to said guiding member 3 by means of a sheathing portion 42,said guiding member 3 being a sliding track and said sheathing portion42 is an adjustable opening. Said active member 4 further includes anoperational portion 43 to correspondingly actuate said opening by usingthe torque spring effect to adjust the coupling tightness of saidopening on the sliding track, allowing said active member 4 to slidefreely on said guiding member 3.

Referring to FIG. 6A and 6B, FIG. 6A is an oblique-angle view showingthe coupling of the active member 4 with the circuit board 5, and FIG.6B is a cross-sectional view showing an auxiliary supporting structureof said active member 4. As shown in FIG. 6A, said fastening member 4 ismade of an insulating material and the second retaining portion 41thereof is located at the opening 41 b of the active member 4 to couplewith an edge of said circuit board 5. By coupling with the firstretaining portion of the fastening member and the second retainingportion 41 of said active member 4, said circuit board 5 is spaced apartfrom said carrier 10 by an elevation L.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the opening 41 b of the second retaining portion 41may further be constituted to form a groove 410 therein for embeddingsaid circuit board 5 and supporting said circuit board 5 in an oppositedirection of the carrier, wherein said groove 410 can be formed on oneside of the opening 41 b for embedding said circuit board 5, or on theboth sides of the opening 41 b for embedding the corner flanges of saidcircuit board 5 depending on the design choice.

Compared to the complex methods in which screws/rivets are used tofasten a circuit board to an electronic device, the circuit boardfastening mechanism proposed by the present invention is designed toeliminate the need of using a fastening tool by coupling the edges andflanges of a circuit board, enabling easy and rapid installation.Further, the fastening mechanism is made of an insulating material asopposed to those of conductive metallic material as used in the priorart, preventing electric short circuits from occurring.

In summary, prior art circuit units were structured such that aplurality of independent holes had to be prepared on surfaces of amachine cabinet to which other components attached. As a result,productivity was low and the production cost was increased. These holesmust be prepared by machining as a secondary process and the preparationof these holes involves a number of extra steps, and, as mentionedbefore, the larger the circuit board, the more holes that are requiredas well as the elevation structures for preventing short circuits, sucha system adversely increasing time and cost. On the other hand, thefastening mechanism according to the present invention not only canfasten a circuit board to an electronic device securely without usingtools, but also is simple and quick to operate. Accordingly, the presentinvention offers advantages over the prior art techniques for itseasy-positioning and installation without causing damage to circuitboards due to inappropriate forces being exerted.

The aforementioned are only exemplary preferred embodiments of thepresent invention. The scope of the claims as stated below should beaccorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass variousmodifications and similar arrangements made to the herein describedinvention that fall within the spirit of the basic principles andtechnology of the present invention.

1. A fastening mechanism for fastening a circuit board to an electronicdevice, comprising: a carrier used for carrying the circuit board; atleast one fastening member having a first retaining portion that isconnected to said carrier for coupling to at least one side of saidcircuit board; at least one guiding member disposed on said carrier thatextends away from the direction of said fastening member; an activemember disposed on said at least one guiding member that consists of asecond retaining portion for coupling to an opposite side of saidcircuit board, and a sheathing member used for correspondingly couplingwith said guiding member, thereby allowing said active member to movealong said guiding member by means of the sheathing member to jointlyfasten a variety of circuit boards of different sizes with saidfastening member.
 2. The circuit board fastening mechanism of claim 1,wherein the fastening member and said active member are made of aninsulating material.
 3. The circuit board fastening mechanism of claim1, wherein the first retaining portion is a groove for embedding a sideedge of the circuit board.
 4. The circuit board fastening mechanism ofclaim 1, wherein the first retaining portion is an opening embedded onsaid fastening member for coupling an edge flange of said circuit board.5. The circuit board fastening mechanism of claim 4, wherein the openingfurther includes a groove for embedding either one side or an edgeflange of the circuit board to support the coupling of the fasteningmember to the circuit board.
 6. The circuit board fastening mechanism ofclaim 1, wherein the second retaining portion is an opening embedded onthe active member for coupling an edge flange of the circuit board. 7.The circuit board fastening mechanism of claim 6, wherein the openingfurther includes a groove for embedding either one side or an edgeflange of the circuit board to support the coupling of the fasteningmember to the circuit board.
 8. The circuit board fastening mechanism ofclaim 1, wherein the circuit board is level with the carrier due to thecoupling with the first and second retaining member and is furtherspaced apart by an elevation.
 9. The circuit board fastening mechanismof claim 1, wherein the guiding member is a sliding track and thesheathing member is an adjustable opening.
 10. The circuit boardfastening mechanism of claim 1, wherein the active member furtherincludes an operational portion to correspondingly actuate said openingby using the torque spring effect to adjust-the coupling tightness ofsaid opening on the sliding track, allowing said active member to slidefreely on said guiding member.